Unfinished Business
by cullen's pet
Summary: Written for Breath-of-twilight's Countdown to Halloween 2012 One-shot. Edward had some unfinished business. Can he show Bella how much he loves her before it's too late... Warning: You will require tissues to read this story.


Disclaimer: I don't own and I don't make any money from this.

Unfinished Business

Friday, October 13, 2010 8:34p.m.

"I'm sorry, Edward!" Bella shouted as she finally reached her boiling point. "I'm sorry that I'm not pregnant yet! I'm sorry that I'm ruining our dreams of the perfect family! I'm sorry that you are so selfishly tied up in your own feelings to consider how I feel about all of this!"

Edward narrowed his eyes angrily as he considered his wife after her little outburst. He was tired of her mood swings, tired of the way that she always seemed to take everything out on him. He usually just turned the other cheek, but enough was enough.

"You don't think I care about how you feel?" he questioned lowly, anger simmering in his voice. "All I ever think about is you, Bella!" His voice was getting louder as he let his anger get the better of him. "All I ever wanted was for you to be happy! You know it doesn't matter to me if we have a baby! But it's what you want and I'm trying with you for the sole purpose that it would make you happy! I have all I'll ever need right here! It's you that isn't content that it's just you and me!"

Edward turned on his heel and strode to the front door before she could reply. He had to get out of the house for a while. He felt like he was going to suffocate. He knew that it was Bella's hormones talking, that the fertility drugs she was taking caused her to be extremely moody and played havoc with her emotions. It didn't stop him from becoming angry from time to time when it became too much.

He paused at the front door for a moment and caved to his need to show Bella how bitter this was making him. He wanted her to know just how much this was hurting him.

"I'm sorry, Bella. I'm sorry that you can't be satisfied by just being with me. I'm sorry that I'm not enough for you and you feel like you need more. I'm sorry that I'm not good enough for you."

It was no more than a whisper, but he knew that she had heard him from her answering cry as he shut the door with a little more force than was necessary. It wasn't that he didn't care. He did. He cared so much that it hurt. It hurt to see his wife cry at the onset of her monthly visitor. He was just tired of the fighting and the arguing. He wanted his wife back but didn't have the heart to destroy her dream of being a mother.

Edward glanced up at the sky as he headed to his car. Lightning snaked amongst the towering, tumultuous gray forms. It reflected his dark mood perfectly. He felt a little guilty for leaving the house angry but he was so stressed out. A drive was exactly what he needed to calm down. He just needed a minute to himself. He never realized as he pulled out of the driveway just how much he would regret it.

Friday, October 13, 2010 8:45p.m.

Bella cried as Edward left. Why didn't he understand? She had always wanted to be a mother and her clock was ticking. She would be thirty next month. In a little over three weeks to be precise. Her approaching thirtieth birthday was a glaring reminder of what she had not yet achieved. Ever since she was a little girl, she knew that she'd wanted to be a mother. And since both her and Edward were only children, she didn't have any nieces or nephews to spoil. At least that would distract her from the fact that her and Edward hadn't been able to conceive.

And the blame lay solely on her. After trying for nearly two years, they had finally consulted a fertility specialist. After all the tests, it was concluded that everything was fine with Edward's little swimmers. It was her. There was something wrong with lining in her uterus. It wasn't thick enough to ensure implantation. The doctor went on to say that if they did conceive that she would more than likely miscarry from the lack of nutrients. It was devastating.

So Bella began a course of drugs to increase her hormone levels to help increase her chances of carrying a baby. The drugs were designed to help thicken the lining needed to nourish the baby. The side effects were horrible. The pills themselves made her nauseous. She was tired all the time. She was irritable and moody. The smallest things seemed to set her off. When she had her period they were horrible. The cramps were debilitating. She could hardly drag herself out of bed some days. And they lasted forever. She went from having a three day cycle to having one that lasted a week or more. The doctor ensured her that it was normal, that it was a sign that the drugs were working. But yet here she was, two years later and still not pregnant.

She knew she took her anger out on Edward. She didn't mean to and it usually wasn't him that she was angry with. The truth was that she was angry with herself. This was all her fault. But it was so hard. Every month, a little piece of her died. When she started, she mourned the baby that might have been, the life that she was unable to give.

Sometimes she questioned whether it was worth it all. She was sick and tired all the time. She was short tempered and snappish. They fought all the time. They were short on money because the pills were so expensive and weren't covered by their health insurance. The more she thought about it, the more she realized that she was lucky that Edward hadn't left her all together. He was right. Having a baby was her dream. He didn't care if it was never more than just them. It was her selfishness that was ripping them apart.

Bella knew that she loved Edward. He was more than enough for her. She would stop the drugs. If she got pregnant, great. If she didn't, that was okay, too. She would have Edward. And she couldn't wait to tell him.

Friday, October 13, 2010 9:53p.m.

Edward drove for over an hour, cooling down. He wasn't overly angry. He just felt like he was stretched too thin. He wanted Bella to be happy. And a baby would make Bella happy. He just wished that things weren't so complicated. Bella still had quite a few years to get pregnant. He didn't understand the rush. But it was what she wanted, more than anything else in the world. He would move the stars if it made her happy. He'd even thought about suggesting adoption to her. He just didn't know how to broach the subject with her without hurting her feelings.

He headed home, feeling guilty about leaving Bella while she was so upset. He would worship her when he got home. He would show her just how much he loved her. He rounded the curve two miles from his house with that thought in mind. He only had a few seconds to swerve out of the way of the headlights bearing down on him. He closed his eyes as his car spun wildly. The impact was deafening as his car crashed into a tree.

Pain.

There was pain everywhere, moving like liquid flames through his whole body. His only thought was Bella. He knew he was dying. He could feel it. He didn't kiss her goodbye and he didn't tell her he loved her. And now he would never get the chance. Red stickiness oozed into his eyes as his vision went white and he thought no more.

Friday, October 13, 2010 11:49 p.m.

Bella was still awake, waiting for Edward when she heard a knock on the front door. She glanced at the clock on the living room wall. It was nearly midnight. Who on earth could that be?

She looked through the peep-hole cautiously. Two uniformed officers were standing on her front porch. Her stomach clenched with dread. She was afraid to open the door, afraid of why they might be here. Swallowing her fears, she opened the door hesitantly.

"Can I help you?" she asked politely. Her throat tightened as she spoke. Lightning flickered across the sky ominously behind them.

"Mrs. Cullen?" It was a question.

Her heart took off, it's pace frantic as panic invaded her body. She could feel it shuddering against her ribcage. "Yes," she answered twisting her hands together fretfully. She didn't fail to miss the glance shared between the two men as they confirmed her identity. Icy tendrils of fear wound their way through her body. Where was Edward? He was usually home by now. He never stayed gone for very long.

"Mrs. Cullen," the older man on the left began. "There is no easy way to say this. Your husband was involved in an accident a few miles from here."

Her hands flew to her mouth with shock. "What hospital is he at? Is he going to be okay? I have to go to him. Just let me get my keys."

She turned to get her keys when the man stopped her, gently grasping her wrist. "I'm sorry miss. Your husband didn't survive the crash. He was pronounced dead at the scene."

She leaned heavily against the doorframe for support as his words penetrated her mind. It couldn't be. Edward couldn't be dead. He wouldn't leave her here like this. Tears sprang to her eyes.

"Mrs. Cullen…?"

She looked up, her tears falling from her eyelashes. He had died believing that she was angry with him, that he wasn't enough for her and that she wasn't satisfied with him. She stifled a sob with her hand as she thought about what her last words were to him. She didn't get a chance to tell him how much she loved him.

"I'm sorry, Mrs. Cullen. Here is a card with all the information on it that you'll need. You will need to contact the hospital in the morning when you decide what arrangements you will be making. Is there anything else we can do for you?" the man on her right offered sympathetically.

"No," she whispered hoarsely, grief clogging her throat. "Nothing you can do will bring him back."

She shut the door with a soft click, leaving the two men to stare bewildered at the door. She didn't care if it was rude. Edward was gone. She would never get to apologize, never be able to tell him that he was more than enough for her, never show him just how much she did love him.

The silence echoed around her, taunting her with the fact she would never hear his voice again, never hear him laugh, never see him smile. She lost it then, her shrill cry reverberating through the empty stillness of the house. It was a heart-wrenching sound, the sound that someone could only make if they had lost it all. And she had. This was all her fault. Her selfishness had caused their fight. He left because of her. Now he was dead.

She trudged reluctantly up the stairs and made her way to their closet. She took one of his shirts off the hanger and pressed her nose against the cool fabric. She trembled slightly as she inhaled deeply. It still smelled like him. Tears dripped from her eyes in a never-ending flow as she pulled it on. It dwarfed her small form, hanging to her knees but she didn't care. It was his and that was all that mattered. She settled into their bed , on his side, hugging his pillow to her chest. What she wouldn't give to see him one more time, to let him know that she didn't mean any of the things she said and that she loved him, that she would always love him.

Edward opened his eyes slowly. He squinted against the brightness of the room. Everything was white; the floor, the ceiling, the walls. He was even dressed all in white. Confused, he sat up slowly from the position that he was laying from on the floor. He racked his brain trying to figure out what was going on. The last thing he remembered was hitting the tree.

Comprehension slowly dawned on him. He was dead. He hadn't survived the crash. He would never get to tell Bella that he was sorry that he hurt her. He would give anything to look into her eyes one more time and tell her that he loved her.

"There is a way, Edward," a voice chimed from behind him.

Edward whirled around, startled. He didn't realize that he wasn't alone. Standing there before him was one of the most beautiful women he had ever seen. Beautiful didn't even seem like an adequate word to describe her. She was breath-taking. Her hair was beautiful, pale, golden blonde that looked like spun silk and fell in cascading waves to her narrow waist. Her skin was flawless, with a dewy sun-kissed sheen that seemed to glow in the bright lights of the room. Her cheekbones were high and her eyebrows arched elegantly above her clear, blue eyes. Full, pink lips finished off her face.

She wore a long, white dress and Edward was astonished when he looked closer to see that she was floating above the floor. Examining her even closer, he saw the reason for the floating. She had wings. They weren't overly large, more medium in size, moving very rapidly keeping her hovering in space like a hummingbird.

She seemed like she was bathed in a golden light, something that seemed to resonate from inside her. Edward couldn't believe his eyes. He was looking at an angel. There wasn't anything else that she could be but all that seemed inconsequential to the words she had spoken.

"What do you mean 'there is a way'? Who are you? Where am I?" he demanded.

"You are neither here nor there, Edward," she replied in lilting, melodic tones. Her voice was as magnificent as she was.

"I'm dead," he clarified, feeling the need to say it out loud. This was all just so surreal. "I didn't survive the crash."

"That is correct, Edward."

He squeezed his eyes shut in anguish. He already knew that he was dead, but hearing it confirmed out loud was another thing entirely.

Bella.

He couldn't touch her ever again. Hold her. Kiss her. Worship her the way that she deserved. He opened his eyes and looked at the woman again. "What do you mean by 'neither here nor there'? Where exactly am I?"

She smiled beatifically at him. "It means that you've passed out of the realm of the living but you have not yet crossed into the realm of the dead. You are in limbo. Stuck in between the two worlds. It means that you have unfinished business, something that you must accomplish in order to move on. Do you know what you have to do?"

"Yes, I know. But how do I do that if I'm dead?" he asked more confused than ever.

She smiled again, her pearly teeth glinting in the light. "That's why I'm here. My name is Araqiel and I'm a seraph. I watch over the earth and try to ensure that every soul gets a chance to know peace. It's my job to try to help those that are lost find their way. My power is not unlimited, though. I can only give you one chance to resolve any issues you may have. If you fail, I fail, and you will remain earthbound, doomed to wander for the rest of eternity trying to rectify any past mistakes or regrets."

Edward was silent as he processed her words. He would get to see Bella one more time, to hold her and tell her how much he loved her. He was still engrossed with his thoughts when he suddenly found himself standing in his bedroom with Araqiel. His heart clenched when he saw his beautiful wife laying in their bed. She was wearing one of his dress shirts, curled up on his side of the bed. Her arms were wrapped around his pillow which she had hugged close to her chest during her slumber. Her eyes were swollen and her face was still wet from the tears that she had obviously shed. He felt an overwhelming surge of guilt and remorse. He had done the one thing that he had promised to never do to her.

He had left her.

"You have tonight, Edward," Araqiel whispered the warning into his ear. "Tell her goodbye. Make your peace with her and yourself. You can touch her. She will feel you and when she wakes in the morning, she will believe that it was all a dream. At dawn, your time is up. I wish you the best of luck, Edward. You don't want to be trapped between the two worlds. It is a miserable existence at best."

Edward didn't even turn to acknowledge her. All of his attention was focused entirely on Bella. This was his last moments with her and he was going to make the most of them.

Saturday, October 14, 2010 2:30a.m.

Edward traced Bella's face lovingly, starting at her brow, moving along her cheek, and across her lips. Her brow creased and her lips protruded in an adorable pout. She turned slightly and sighed.

"Edward…"

His stomach tightened uncomfortably as a fresh wave of guilt washed over him. How could he be such a shit? She didn't deserve the heart ache that he was causing her. He had to make it right. That was the reason that he stayed behind.

"Bella," he whispered gently. He was afraid that he would frighten her. He could tell by the state that she was in that she had already been told the news of his passing. He didn't want to risk upsetting her any further than she already was.

Her eyelids fluttered slightly and her eyes slowly opened. She looked so tired and sad. It broke his heart even more. Her eyes locked with his and she gasped.

"Edward? Is that you?" Tears welled up in her eyes as she struggled to comprehend what she was seeing. It made him feel even worse than before.

"It's me, Bella," he said softly.

She shivered as she sat up further in the bed. "But…but…you died. How….how is this even possible?"

He wanted to cry with her, for her for having to endure the pain he had put her through but he needed to be strong. He didn't want her to carry around any guilt or grief over his passing. He wanted her to be happy again someday.

"I am dead. But I couldn't leave. Not yet, not before I told you."

She reached out tentatively and cupped his cheek tenderly, marveling at the fact that she could feel him. That he was solid and kneeling right next to her. Her face was alight with curiosity as her eyes roamed over his face. "Told me what? If you are really gone, how is this even possible? Have I gone completely crazy? You feel real under my fingers. You are not see-through like the ghosts on TV. Are you a figment of my imagination, something designed to torture me even more?"

He shook his head as he answered, "No, baby. It's nothing like that. I don't have much time. I have this one chance to see you, one more chance to tell you and show you how much I love you. I'm so sorry, Bella. I didn't mean what I said earlier. I couldn't move on with you thinking I was angry with you. I should have never left, I should have…"

Bella put her finger to his lips, silencing him. She traced her thumb along the curve of his bottom lip, curiosity still plain on her face. He was glad that she was inquisitive and not terrified. That would have made him feel infinitely worse than before.

"Shhh…. Edward. I'm sorry, too. I know that I have not been myself lately. I know it is not your fault. It's my fault. I've been the selfish one. I was going to tell you tonight when you came home…"

She trailed off and shook as she tried to speak through her tears which had finally spilled from her big, chocolate eyes. He got up from his position beside the bed and sat next to her, pulling her quivering form into his arms. He wrapped himself around her as she cried, comforting her as much as he could. He had tried to live his life with no regrets but he had failed. He deeply regretted hurting his love in such a painful way. He pained him even more to know that after tonight, he wouldn't be able to comfort her any more. He wouldn't be able to wipe away her tears or tell her that she was the most beautiful woman in the world. If he didn't accomplish his task, he deserved to wander alone for all eternity. Maybe he deserved it no matter how this turned out. He had really screwed up.

Bella sniffled again as she calmed down. She wanted to make sure he knew. " I thought about what you said after you left. I was going to quit taking the drugs. I had decided that the benefits were not enough to balance out the side effects. They were tearing us apart. If we were meant to be parents, then we would have a baby without costly drugs that make me miserable."

She shook again as she broke down completely. "This is all my fault," she wailed. "I was selfish and didn't appreciate what I had right in front of me. This is my punishment for being so greedy. Now I have nothing."

Edward ran his hands through her silken locks and rubbed soothing circles on her back. "Shhh… You are wrong. It wasn't your fault, honey. It was an accident. If it was anyone's fault, it would be mine. I was driving. I left the house."

Bella shook her head. "I don't want to do this without you, Edward!" she cried as she clutched his shirt tightly in her fists. "I don't know if I can!"

Edward pulled away from her slightly. He raised his hand, gently grasped her chin and tilted her face up toward his. His lips met hers in the gentlest and softest of kisses. He wanted her to see that he wasn't angry, that he didn't blame her, and that he loved her above everything else. He pulled her in close, her head resting on his shoulder as he comforted her the best way that he knew how.

"You can do it," he breathed into her ear. "And you won't be alone. I'll always be here." He touched her above her breast, right over her heart for emphasis. He could feel her heart pounding beneath his fingertips. It was unsettling to think that his would never beat that way again. Shaking himself out of his morbid thoughts he continued. "I'll always be in your heart. As long as you remember me, I'll be here."

Bella breathed against his neck, marveling at the fact that she could fell him and see him. She had to be dreaming. There was no other explanation. But it didn't matter. She needed this time with him. She looked up at him with watery eyes.

"I'll miss you so much and it hurts to know that this is the last time that I'll ever see you."

"Bella, honey, shhh…. You will see me again someday. When your time comes, I will be waiting for you." He pulled away from her again and wiped away her tears with the pad of his thumb. She leaned into his touch and sighed quietly.

"I love you Edward, with all that I am. I don't want you to go. Call me greedy, but thirteen years wasn't long enough. One hundred years wouldn't be long enough."

Edward closed his eyes at her statement. Of course he knew that she loved him, he'd never doubted it. Not once. She was his first and only love. He wished that he could turn back the clock. He would never have left the house. He wouldn't have gotten angry. He would have showed his beautiful wife how much he loved her.

"I love you, too, Bella. I'm sorry that I left you while you were upset. I'm sorry that I broke my promise. It was unintentional. I would give anything in the world to have another chance but that isn't how things are supposed to work. In fact, I consider myself blessed to get the chance that I got to come and say goodbye. That's what I thought about at the end. I thought about you and the fact that I left without telling you that I loved you."

Edward gazed lovingly into her eyes. This was it. His last chance to show Bella how much she meant to him. He lowered his lips to hers slowly, savoring her taste, memorizing it. He didn't know what would happen to him when he moved on, but he liked to think that he would remember his life here, that when Bella's time came he would be waiting for her on the other side.

Bella kissed him back fervently, her lips moving with his own as her fingers slid through his hair. Her nails scratched gently against his scalp sending a thread of need straight to his groin. Edward groaned huskily. He loved it when she did that. It sent thousands of tingles dancing down his spine, running all the way to his toes.

His tongue dueled with hers sensually as he trailed his fingers over her shoulders and down her neck, tracing the delicate curve of her collarbone. Bella shuddered against him as he continued his slow assault on her senses. He made sure to touch and caress every point on her body that he knew drove her wild as he slowly pushed her down into the mattress beneath him. By the time his digits reached her panties, he was pleased to find that she was soaked with her desire. He rubbed her clit with his thumb, circling it through the thin satin covering her. He intended to pleasure her fully tonight. He wanted to make sure she knew just how much he loved and cherished her.

She whimpered beneath him and ground against him, seeking friction. He pressed a little harder and pinched her gently, rolling her sensitive pink nub between his thumb and forefinger. She cried out, trembling as her first orgasm swept over her. He smiled against her neck. It would be the first of many.

Bella's hands trailed down his abdomen and he grasped her delicate wrists, pressing them against the bed next to her head.

"No," he whispered, his voice low and husky. "I'm going to make you sing tonight, baby. Let me love you one more time."

He gazed into her chocolate depths, feeling another pang of sadness as her eyes glistened with clear, crystalline tears.

"Edward…."

He silenced her with a kiss. "Shhhh…."

Releasing her wrists, he trailed his lips down her body, following the same path his fingers made a moment ago. He unbuttoned her shirt as he moved, thinking to himself that she looked better in his shirt than he did. It was just a plain white, button-up oxford dress shirt but it was the most erotic thing that he'd ever seen her wear. There was just something about seeing her in his shirt that turned him on.

Turning away from his thoughts, he concentrated on his task. He had been blessed and given this extra time with Bella and he was going to make the most of it. He pressed a tender kiss to each of her breasts before reaching around to unclasp her bra. He slid the fabric away and revealed her lovely round globes. He pinched one nipple, tugging on it lightly as he suckled the other one in his mouth.

Bella panted beneath him as he worshipped her. He alternated between slow suction and lightly scraping her stiffened peaks with his teeth as she ground her pelvis against him seeking friction to soothe the ache between her thighs.

Licking a path to her navel, Edward noted that her nipples were a slightly different color than they use to be. They were darker. He didn't dwell on it though. Morning was approaching and his time was almost up. He sat up as his thumbs hooked the waistband of her panties. He eased them off her and sat back appreciating the view spread out before him. Bella looked delicious. Her cheeks were flushed, her lips swollen and pink, her eyes dark with desire.

He locked eyes with her as he lowered his mouth to her sex and breathed deeply, letting the breath from his exhale waft over her. She shivered and threaded her fingers in his hair, scratching lightly again. He groaned and gave her one strong, sensual lick, lathing his tongue over her from one end to the other.

Bella moaned quietly, urging him on. He circled his tongue around her already hardened clit, noting that she tasted a little different. She was sweeter. She had always tasted magnificent but somehow, this time, she tasted even better.

He inserted a finger into her dripping core, as he assaulted her sweet spot. She writhed against him as she approached her climax. Edward added another finger as he felt her clench around his digits. He applied his teeth to her little, pink nub and bit gently as he twisted his fingers, stroking that special spot inside of her. Bella mewled sweetly and thrust her hips against him as her world came apart again. Edward licked up as much of her release as he could as she gushed around his lips. He wasn't sure what had changed but Bella definitely tasted different. He pulled away and hovered above her again, situating himself between her creamy thighs.

"Please, Edward. I need you. I need you so much," she whispered.

He complied, plunging into her silken depths. Gods above, she felt so good. He fit inside her perfectly. It was like she was made just for him. He thrust against her, treasuring these last moments he had with her. He felt extremely fortunate that he had the chance to tell her goodbye.

He kissed her again as she moved against him. His time was almost up. He felt something shift within himself. He increased his pace and the power behind his thrust. He wanted to bring her over the brink one more time. He folded her legs up and placed them over his shoulders as he pounded harder into her. She cried out as he reached between them and pinched her clit. She was close. He could feel the muscles of her inner walls rippling as they milked his cock. He rolled her nub between his fingers as she clamped down on him, her cries of pleasure music to his ears.

He released her legs and cupped her cheek tenderly. His hand no longer looked solid. In fact, he could see right through it. Apparently he had settled his unfinished business. He felt no panic, only peace as he kissed his beautiful girl one last time sucking gently on her lower lip. He touched his forehead to hers and gazed into her glimmering eyes for the last time. His time had come.

"Remember, Bella. I love you. I'll always love you. I'll always be in your heart. And when the time comes, I'll be waiting," he whispered.

It was the strangest sensation. One minute he felt them connected, he felt the smooth skin of her cheek against his palm and then the next, he felt nothing as his hand faded away completely and he passed into the next realm.

Saturday, October 14, 2010 8:34a.m.

Bella awoke with a start. She had the strangest dream. She almost felt ashamed of herself. She had an erotic dream about her husband the same night that he passed away. What kind of person was she? Tears sprang to her eyes again as she thought about Edward. She missed him so much already. She wasn't sure how she was going to do this without him. He was her soul mate, her other half. She was sure that she would never find love again. She didn't want to. The love that they shared was the kind that came around only once in a lifetime.

Bella stretched as she prepared to get up. She had so much that had to be done. It made her tired just thinking about it. She stood slowly. God, she was sore. She walked slowly to the bathroom. She took care of her toilet and then moved to the mirror to do something about her hair and the make-up that she knew was smeared across her face. She gasped as she took in her appearance. Her lips were swollen as if someone had been kissing her and there was a trail of small bruises along the column of her neck that hadn't been there before.

She wasn't so sure if she had dreamed at all last night. Dreams don't make you sore. Dreams don't leave bruises on your neck. She should have felt creeped out. Edward had visited her last night. He made love to her and told her goodbye. Technically, he was a ghost. But she didn't feel scared at all. He was her husband, the man that she had loved since she was a teenager. She felt strangely peaceful. She knew that he had gone to a better place. She would miss him like crazy but it was like he said: she would see him again someday.

Tuesday, October 31, 2010 7:42a.m.

Bella rushed to the toilet as her stomach violently turned inside out once again. She hadn't been feeling well for days now. Strangely enough, usually by the afternoon she felt better only to feel sick again the next morning. She hoped that she wasn't getting the flu. She couldn't afford to get sick now. After Edward's funeral, she had been extremely busy trying to get everything settled. She had a few accounts to settle. She had to file his death certificate and contact social security. Surprisingly, Edward had a sizeable life insurance policy that he had taken out at work. Needless to say, she would be well cared for. Edward had provided enough that she wouldn't have to work if she didn't want to. And his parents had been wonderful. Carlisle and Esme had told her that she was still their daughter even though Edward was gone and that if she ever needed anything to call. They even set up a trust fund to supplement what Edward had left her. She had been overwhelmed by their generosity.

She backed away from the toilet and leaned over the sink, rinsing her mouth. She didn't feel sick, except for the vomiting. She looked into the mirror as things started clicking into place. What was today? It was Halloween. October 31st. She should have gotten her period last week. She was a week late and she didn't even realize it. She had been so busy she hadn't noticed that she had missed her cycle.

She rushed from the bathroom to get ready. She had to go to the store. She had to know. She got in her car and drove to the drugstore down the street. Her hand shook slightly as she picked up the pregnancy test. She would be so disappointed if this was a false alarm. It would be so much worse now that Edward was gone. She didn't think she could handle such a letdown.

She drove home, anxious to find out what the results were. She opened the box and read the instructions carefully. She didn't wan to mess this up. The test was 99.9% accurate. She opened the test and peed on the strip. She placed the test on the counter. She stared at it for a moment before she left the bathroom. She couldn't watch.

She paced her bedroom as she wrung her hands nervously. How long had it been? She looked at her watch. It was time. She crept into the bathroom, eyeing the innocuous looking object on the counter. She was terrified to check it. She reached out a trembling hand and picked up the test.

There were two lines. She was pregnant. She was going to be a mom. Edward had given her one final gift. She sank to the floor crying. She was so happy and so sad at the same time. Edward would never see his baby and her baby would never meet his or her father but she would tell him or her all about him. Her child would know what a wonderful man their father was. She couldn't wait to call and tell Carlisle and Esme the news. They were going to be grandparents. She didn't know how things would work out but she knew one thing for sure: Halloween was her new favorite holiday as this one had been the best day of her life.

~~~fin~~~

End Note: Do leave a review. Let me know what you're thinking. Even if it's just to rail at me for killing Edward.


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